Pages of Note

Wednesday, May 13, 2015

Lago Atitlan

Forlorn Oggy looks back at the van

I don't have much to say about this famous lake. It's certainly unusual, but again, like all of Guatemala, it's the kind of place one should take a bus to. Let someone else suffer the trials of the road. The obstacles driving El Conquistador there are a test of all my facilities and detract from any kind of enjoyment of the landscape. Even in this picture I'm looking back at the ridiculous grade I need to climb in order to get out of the lake area. On the drive back to Xela a truck full of concrete blocks tipped over and blocked 3 of 4 lanes with construction debris. Another car hit the side of the mountain and caused major problems. Many many vehicles were blocking the road at one point or another due to malfunctions. If one does not focus on the task then the vehicle is either going over a cliff or will run over a 2 foot pile of broken concrete blocks or over a person drunk and sleeping in the middle of the road, or possibly into a ditch or huge pot hole. There is no moment the vehicle is moving that it's a good idea to look around and enjoy the scenery. Lago Atitlan was especially dangerous to reach. Take a bus. Hell, I almost abandoned the van there and took the bus back to Xela. But my fate is tied to the van so I got back in and spent about $10 for every mile of the 50% grade I had to climb. Dogs died in the road, children fled. It's exhausting in every sense but was unavoidable for me to keep my van in Guatemala without being deported.